Zone 3 Orchard - Who Survived the Winter

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:Welcome aboard, Ashley! Great first post, thanks. That's valuable information.

Agreed, it was a tough and strange winter. We find that while extended cold periods take a toll, the constant freeze and thaw cycles we are experiencing are deadly to all sorts of perennials.

I suspect the Parkland eaten by a moose would have been grafted onto a hardier rootstock. So, if the rootstock kicks out new shoots, they won't be much use to you unless you get into grafting.

Catie George wrote:Haskaps have grown well for me in Zone 4 Ontario, and i suspect would also do well in Zone 3.

Catie George wrote:My dad is still in zone 3, but Ontario - he hasnt had any success at all with the modern U Sask sweet sour cherry bushes or, sadly, saskatoons, which i planted 2-3 times before giving up.  He has managed to grow grapes - i think i planted Valiant, and he gets an occasional large bumper harvest from them. I suspect if he pruned them, more would ripen! Balsor's hardy blackberry died (possibly due to where he planted it!). Haskaps have grown well for me in Zone 4 Ontario, and i suspect would also do well in Zone 3. Things tend to die as much from baking in drought and shallow soil over bedrock, as winter kill, though.

I think living in Zone 3 really teaches you to treasure fruit, even tart fruit. I still enjoy chewing raw rhubarb, currants straight from the bush, and prefer sour cherries to sweet cherries.

Still, i am enjoying my move to zone 6!

Edit : oh! And i really enjoyed our wild Canada plum on good years. Some years the fruit was really tart and dry, but on good years, it was fantastic and a punch of flavour.

Brett Crawford wrote:New to this site. I'm in zone 3 near Dauphin, MB.  I am looking to plant a Trader Mulberry and am wondering if anyone else has panted one in zone 3 and if so what were the results?  Also, I see them for sale for various prices, from $22 at T&T in Winnipeg up to $60 (Vessys sell them for $57).  I'm not sure I trust T&T as I have had previous bad experiences with them but at less than half the price, it might be worth the risk.

Okay I was also tricked by the very affordable T&T mulberry. I had already had a bad experience with them but made another order anyways as a second chance. The mulberries I received were less than 2” tall, one was already dead. The other died shortly later. I won’t waste my money there again. I’ve been very happy with my whiffletree orders and oak summit. Doug at oak summit has been doing some interesting experiments with sweet cherries too.

Brett Crawford wrote:Hey Derek I just had a thought about your Arctic Kiwi > as I said, Ron Paul's gave me two males instead of two females.  Maybe you got two of the same sex, so no fruit as they are dioecious.  The male's leaves become very variegated if exposed to the sun (very pink around the edges) and are often bought for that ornamental value.  The females may be variegated as well, but to a lesser extent.  So if both your plants looked the same, that is why it never fruited.  You can also tell if they are different by the flowers being either male or female. Also, they not only don't mind shade,  they prefer if a good amount of the day is in partial to full shade, requiring 6 or less hours of sun.  If buying, be careful, some (like T&T) advertise Arctic Kiwi, but are actually selling Hardy kiwi.  Not the same and not nearly as hardy.  Shop by the Latin name Actinidia kolomikta.  T&T sells Actinidia arguta.